The Republican War on Christmas

The time is fast approaching that we will soon see the Republican brain-trust, Beck, Limbaugh and O’Reilly, embark on their annual round of lies accusing the Democrats of waging war on Christmas.  However, the real war on Christmas comes not from the Democrats, but from Republicans.  And, if you are among the two million Americans about to join the ranks of the 99ers, or a member of one of their families, you just got a Christmas present from the Republican party.

Millions of jobless Americans could see unemployment benefits run out in coming weeks after an effort to extend them failed in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

House Democratic leaders said they would take up the measure again but Congress has little time before the benefits expire on November 30. Lawmakers are expected to leave Washington next week for the Thanksgiving holiday and the Senate has not scheduled a vote.

The jobless rate has been stuck around 9.6 percent as the United States struggles to emerge from the financial crisis and its worst recession since the 1930s. Economists expect unemployment to remain high for years to come.

Congress has let jobless benefits lapse twice already this year as Republicans insist the cost — $160 billion in the last fiscal year — be offset by cuts elsewhere to prevent the nation’s $14 trillion debt from growing further.

"We all want to help those in need. But the American people know that someone has to pay when the government spends money and it shouldn’t be our children and grandchildren," said Republican Representative Charles Boustany.

But Democrats say Republicans showed no similar concerns when approving spending for two wars and when pushing to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, which would add an estimated $700 billion to the deficit over 10 years.

If the measure is not renewed, some 2 million people by the end of the year will stop getting weekly checks they receive as they look for work, says the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for workers’ rights… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Reuters>

Democrats had to use special rules, requiring a 67%, to prevent Republicans from clogging the calendar with debate on amendments.  The final vote was 258 Yeas to 154 Nays.  Never before has Congress failed to extend these benefits at a time of high unemployment.  Keith Olbermann and Jeanne Reinman, a soon to be 99er, fill in the details.

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I found it touching that Reinman had the compassion to consider those worse off that she is in the midst of her trouble. I consider it despicable that Republicans and a handful of Bush-Dog DINOs want to say yes to the very people whose greed put so many out of work and no to the victims of their greed.

I only hope that the children who will find nothing under the tree and wish there were some coal there so they could stay warm grow up to remember  that when they needed help most, the Republican party, out of pure greed, declared war on their Christmas and said no.